Rare WWII ID tag found in New York prompts search for Boston veteran’s family

A woman in upstate New York discovered a rare World War II identification tag that belonged to an Army veteran born in Boston.

The find has prompted a search to return it to the family of Raymond Doran, who died in 1961.

The tag was found by Elyssa Rossi along Lake Ontario in Rochester, N.Y.

While the tag identifies Doran as being from Boston, historical records show he was a resident of Rochester when he was drafted at the age of 38.

Rossi, who frequently visits the area to search for sea glass, noticed the object after the snow recently melted.

“When people ask me what I like to do in my free time, it’s usually like going to the beach or going to the woods,” Rossi said. “I just happen to see this like little piece of metal sticking out. I was like ‘no way! This is like a dog tag.’”

Although the tag listed Doran as being from Boston, military records showed he was living in Rochester when he was drafted.

Cory Ahonen, who works with the Executive Office of Veterans Services in Boston, helped investigate Doran’s history alongside the Massachusetts Military Records Office.

Ahonen said Doran likely served in an Army support role due his age.

“One of the first things pointed out was the age of enlistment, the age of 38 which is unusually rare,” Ahonen said.

Records indicate Doran’s family had deep roots in Massachusetts and according to a 1910 census, his parents lived in Pittsfield.

The tag also lists his sister, Esther, as his next-of-kin.

At the time of Doran’s service, Esther was likely still living in the Boston area.

Now, Rossi is hoping to get the tag into the right hands, possibly with Doran’s distant relatives.

“To me, this is something really important to someone’s family,” Rossi said. “This is more than just a dog tag, this really signifies sacrifices that somebody made for not just their family, but the country.”

Ahonen said it’s rare to stumble upon something like this.

“A dog tag like that is usually kept with close personal belongings, it’s kept in the family passed down for generations perhaps,” Ahonen said.

“Maybe there’s a connection there that can be found cause we’d love to get these tags back to the family and provide this veteran probably one of his final dignities with his service,” Ahonen said. “For folks to receive something like this from a distant relative of theirs that recognizes that they served during this time, part of the greatest generation, it would be a very strong significance for a family member to receive that.”

The Military Records Office has not yet been able to find a valid next of kin.

Anyone with information regarding the Doran family or their descendants is asked to contact the Executive Office of Veterans Services.

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